JIBBBY

Hey guys... Looking forward to learning about the possibilities of an LS2 engine swap on this forum.....

I've been a guru for the last 6 years with the Toyota/Lexus 4.0 1uz-fe quad cam motors, infact I currently own a SC400 Lexus running nitrous oxide, built up, and fast..I was going to boost it for big power but am thinking of an LS2 swap instead as a good base.. What I've found out over the years is that these 1uz-fe motors are very stout and can take a beating like no other motor..However, unfortunately they are small in liter size and must be boosted to make any real power..... It's time to move on to the fabulous LSx motors to do some real damage....

I've always been a big fan of the LS1, LS2 and LS7...Oh the LS7 is soooo nice... Big liter, big power..


I am looking forward to learning alot on this forum.. First question - Now, I've heard about piston slap on some LSx motors when cold.. Is this true with some year LSx motors? I heard the early LS1 motors have problems as well... I will be looking at the LS2 for a potential swap... Can anyone tell me about any problems with the LS2's? What to look for? Also how much power can you run thru a LS2 motor with it's stock internals?

Any helpful info. would be appreciated greatly...Thanks...

Here is what I got now - This is my current SC400 ride with the 1uz-fe motor in it for now...... Got complete exhaust and intake upgrades, ECU tune, nitrous (150 shot), LSD, lowered, etc...


I am neck and neck now with the new C6 Vette's with this car of mine when racing, but looking to go faster.....

josh2448

wouldnt a 2JZ swap be easier/cheaper?

WSsick

iTrader: (13)

check out one of the sponsors for a 408. they make great power
if you odnt mind me asking, what all mods did you have for your current car? track times?

oh and welcomeeeee

JIBBBY

Yes, a 2jz.. straight six banger would be easier swap as it bolts right in but not necessarly cheaper..Those motors come out of the 93-98 Supra twin turbo's and are in high demand and expensive.. .While those motors flow with boost and can handle 4 digit horsepower there weakness is there lack in torque.. Most 2jz's when fitted with big turbo's become estremely gutless at launch and or low rpm's.. Infact, real 2jz.. enthusiest rely on nitrous oxide just to spool the turbos and get a decent launch.. Not my cup of tea..... I am really looking for big V8 torque that can derived from an LS2 GM engine swap... Just not a big fan of the 2jz's..or really any other smaller 4 and 6 cylinder motors for that matter.. Maybe the legendary Grand Nationals motors being the exception...

Wssick - The Lexus SC400's are relatively heavy cars and are not ideal for performance... However, with the mod's I did I got the car moving decently..

1992 SC400 - list of mods as requested..

1) Lowered 2 inches, good dampening in the rear for traction..
2) Supra TT torsen LSD again for traction..
3) 300lb weight reduction without compromising comfort and driveability..
4) 1uz-fe 4.0liter quad cam V8 aluminum block engine fitted with S&S Headers (short runners)
5) Properly fitted semi straight pipes, no cats, straight thru Megan mufflers.
6) Flex-a-lite dual Electric fans for larger engine swap..
7) Apexi ECU piggy back unit for tuning purposes..
8) Custom high flowing intake (k/n filter, rod millen intake, Injen snorkel tube.
9) 150 Nitrous dry shot...
10) racing rims, fat soft rubber tires..
11) Dragon torque converter

And a bunch of other little stuff for handeling and performance.

Hope I am not boring anyone with lexus performance mods..

All in all the car sports a little over 300whp and 400 torque... Very quick 0-60mph and a bit gutless after 80mph... I can suprise a few people with this old ride of mine on occasion..

No track times to report but I would guess I can probably run in the low 12's, high 11's in the quarter maybe.. Not that impressive comparing my SC400 to built up and boosted Vette, Camaro, Viper, etc..

Elcaballoloco

iTrader: (3)

Welcome! I used to run a 91 LS400 1uzfe car! Those are damn good engines, but no where near as good as an LS motor!

krazy4

iTrader: (5)

Have to disagree with you on the low 12s, high 11s claim. I like those SC400's though. Pretty cool cars. Should haul *** with an LS engine in it.

TWS

iTrader: (63)

I think '97 and earlier SC300's came with a 2jZ motor. If I was to do a Lexus build, I'd start with a clean SC300 and turbo it. Poor man's Supra.

Ironically I think a 6 cylinder Lexus is easier to make fast than a 8 cylinder Lexus.

krazy4

iTrader: (5)

Definitely true.

JIBBBY

Wow, alot of knowledgeable lexus people on this LSx forum...I am pleasantly surprised...

Ok, I can agree with all of you... The 1uz-fe is probably the cheapest best used motor available as they are around $500 used in most junk yards, Ebay, etc...with their blue printed design at factory and dual smoothe over head cam operations, those motors can run 300, 400,000 miles consistantly without much failure and maintenance to speak of..... You can literally put a cup of coffee on the top of the engine and it won't spill as it idols so smoothly... Stock internals on the 92-95 year model 1uz-fe engines are decently stout...They get weaker thru the years as the connecting rods become their weakest points... These are great little cheap motors to swap in light weight cars... Again, the only problem with these motors is their smaller liter size 4.0.. Rated at only 186whp in stock form, it's becomes a real challenge to get any real big N/A power out of them... You can single turbo them but then you have problems supporting the power thru the lexus SC400 auto transmissions that can only hold 400whp tops with a tranny cooler.. Untimely shifts can happen to with that power output... Hense the quest for an LS2 engine swap combined with a GM drivetrain swap as well which to my knowledge has not been done yet, I want to be the first....

Another decent smaller V8 motor that is cheap and solid and is just about equal to the 1uz-fe motors is those old Q45 infinity motors... Little bigger, last long, run nice..

Now the LS2 motors I am really in love with...400whp with a couple of bolt on mods sounds so nice to me.. Good rpm band and torque numbers as well... The best performance motor around in my opinion... A bit expensive but worth every penny... I don't like the reported piston slap when running cold that goes on with all the LS motors. Which inturn makes me question their longevity, but everyone I met say's it's no big deal..

Oh and the Lexus SC300's are easier to modify and most people do because they come equiped with a manual tranny that hold power a bit better then the SC400 automatic trannies.. Manual trannies are better for performance to with these SC's.. That's the only reason... Also, 2jz.. motors only come in the Supra TT's and not in any of the Lexus SC300's.. It's strickly a Toyota motor and not Lexus..They look the same though with their straight six engine designs but are worlds apart for performance...

Krazy4, I don't have any track times so I can't agree or disagree with what you say, but I have many friends that have turbo's 1uz-fe Lexus Sc400's, Supercharged Sc400's, modified SC430's etc.. I believe I can beat them all in the quarter and they report their track times in the high 12's.. Something about nitrous oxide that gives you a clear advantage in the torque department over the boosted motors running with the same HP power output... I've broken many drivetrain parts over the year in my Sc400, two auto trannies, spindles, driveshaft, etc.....However, the 1uz-fe engine still purs like new with 150,000 miles on it and six years of continued Nitrous abuse almost daily... It's durability will be missed for sure but it's liter size will not....

TWS

iTrader: (63)

Sorry bro. Not to get in a pissing match, but that is dead wrong. '92-'97 SC300's all came equipped with a 3.0 L inline 6 2JZ-GE.

Also, not just Supra TT's but Mark IV (1993-2002) NA Supras came with 2JZ's. There were differences between the NA and Turbo motors, but they were both 2JZ.

Who really cares about Lexas/Toyota engine data on LS1tech, but I didn't want folks to get wrong information. Not to be a smart ***, but you do know that Lexus is owned by Toyota?

samson_420

iTrader: (1)

I was considering a SC before I bough the z28. They are pretty bad *** cars. But, if you want to stay Toyota with high Hp you will need a straight six and turbo(in my opinion).

An LSx swap would be great. But, why? The SC is just that, a poor man's Supra.

But, to each is own.

zGearJammer

I just completed a LT1 to LS3 swap in my 97. Not sure if this will help you but I got everything I needed for my conversion from one source for a little over 11k. This included the LS3 525 hp estimated crank hp (10.7 compression, 550/550/218 116cl), 2000 Camaro T-56, and everything except what I needed to hook up the AC. Computer, wiring harness, alternator, water pump, coil pack, injectors, power steering pump, coil packs, plug wires and plugs. He even sent me a rack and pinion setup. May have paid more than I needed to for the setup but it is hard to touch a new 500+ engine for under 8k and with everything else I got it seemed worth it. You can check him out on E-Bay. This is his E-bay id: streetrodengines
Oh. Welcome to the site.

ynkssws6

iTrader: (1)

I like this guy; comes off respectfully responding to posts and very open minded. I hope someone can help him out. Maybe check out the conversion section on here they might be able to help you out further.

DeepV

iTrader: (1)

Welcome to the darkside! I converted from yota too, I used to have an MR2 turbo with a few minor mods. Nice car, i was actually looking at doing a 2jz soarer with the JDM chaser motor a big turbo and some HKS cams. (non vvt-i of course, tuning those are a PITA)

Good luck with the swap and props to the sprayed 1uz, those motors are amazing, very sophisticated. it's just a shame they are so costly to mod compared to other v8's.

JIBBBY

Thanks for the replies fellas... I like this forum already...

Z-gearjammer - Thanks for the heads up, I will definetely keep that information in mind..

Samson 420 - I am not sure if the SC300's and sc400's are necessarly bad **** cars like a modified Vette or stacked Camaro, but what I can say about them is they are very comfortable, super reliable, no rattles, air leaks, etc, and the ride is so smoothe even with very high miles.. It's really a best kept secret...They can now be purchased very cheap used and they hold up really well with high miles which attracted me to them originally.. They are slow in stock form....However, You can modify them relatively cheaply up to around 400whp.. Although, I bought my SC400 for $8,000 many years ago and have put around $12,000 more into it to date, but alot of that is cosmetic and restoration expenses, it is pretty much showroom... Performance Mods maybe total $7000 in total... In all honestly they are not ideal cars to modify but it can be done and it can be a pretty fun ride too....

TWS - I am talking about the Supra 2JZ-GTE that is the straight six that most people spend bank on to get that comes in the Supra TT's. They swap them into the SC300's mainly for big performance...That used six banger motor can run $10,000 though used if you can find one.....That motor in stock form can handle as much as 1000hp on the stock internals...It's just crazy and that is why they are in demand.... The SC300 motors aren't stout at all and that is why they are swapped out for the ..GTE's..... That's what I know about the SC300's but then again I own the SC400...

Deepv - Love the dark side of the force...LSx performance motors for everyone!!!!


Why I am going with the LS2 GM engine swap in a Lexus SC400 - I know I can single turbo the SC400 V8 motor of mine and get it up and running to around 400whp safetly, but it still won't be much faster then what it is right now with my nitrous system... The Lexus auto tranny's are really the road block when modifying these cars...400whp and that is it basically... Used SC300/400 used parts are cheap and plentiful at the yards just like all the older GM cars and trucks... I replaced my tranny twice on this car for $500 each time for example.... Enough with Lexus and onto LSx motors..

This is now a story sorry... I am basically going with the LS2 swap to accomidate a GM tranny swap as well... I am a little down on the fact that the Vette's have the transaxles as that will not work on my SC400.. I have to go with a stout Th400 most likely (still currently looking into the actual GM tranny I want to use).. I am also a good welder and can actually make this swap happen..

I grew up on Chevy V8's, 283's, 327's, 350's, and one 454cid Chevy iron blocks, and love the big N/A power they put out... I swapped a 350 Chevy motor into a Toyota Landcruiser years ago, and really liked how it turned out.. I owned a vintage Nova SS as a teen and had a ball with that car growing up... I got away GM for many years and now want to be one of the first people to try a powerful LS2 motor and tranny swap into a fully restored Lexus SC400... I guess I like the sleeper factor of the Sc400 modified ride and the challenge this swap presents...


Ynkssws6- Thanks for the compliment...To be honest I was actually a little nervous to post up my Lexus ride and info on this LSx forum... I thought I would anger a few die hard GM people, but being that I am GM motor lover too and am swapping in an LS2 I thought maybe I would be accepted...So far so good as you guys are very understanding and open..... Thanks..

Black FormulaLs1

iTrader: (10)

welcome to the forum!! nice ride you have there..i always loved a sleeper car..accept when it sounds like my weedeater....and i have a question for you..not trying to bash what so ever so .....you said **All in all the car sports a little over 300whp and 400 torque... Very quick 0-60mph and a bit gutless after 80mph... I can suprise a few people with this old ride of mine on occasion..** and you think you can take the new Z06? or did i grossly missread something? anyways ...please feel free to check out the classafieds * gotta love cheap goodies* and sponsors always have cool stuf...best of luck to you with your swap!! and again...WELCOME!!

TWS

iTrader: (63)

You must be talking about the IS motors or the later VVT-i motors??? The 2JZ GE and 2JZ GTE are very similar when it comes to what you can throw at them. They are of the same strength and the same quality. Yes, the GTE has lower compression and a different head, intake and exhaust manifolds, but the crank, rods, and block are the same. There are some crappy motors that came later in '98 and up with weaker rods. If you have an '92-'97 SC300 there is no reason to swap out the motor. The GE and GTE are both capable of enduring about 800 RWHP from the factory.

I'm in Austin, so the Supra/Lexus masters at Boost Logic are at the same car meets I go to and they school me about those cars.

You really can throw a turbo on a stock 2JZ SC300 and have a "poor man's Supra". No joking - a couple guys at Boost Logic roll like that.

codysgto

You will love the LS2 my car with intake and headers made 371hp 373tq on a dyno jet

krazy4

iTrader: (5)

If you have never been to the track before don't expect the greatest times either. You have an auto though which will make it a lot easier.

I thought the same thing with nitrous creating high torque. I raced all motor cars with slightly more whp than what I made on nitrous. I killed them in the torque department though. Still got beat.

Car should be sick with LS2 power. I vote to just build a heads/cam LS1 with a forged bottom end and a 200 hit.

JIBBBY

NO WAY I can take a Z06 Vette, I wish!!!! I can't come close to touching that bullet!!!...That is actually my dream ride but for $100,000 new I must pass for now.... I am however very close with a standard and stock C6 Vette as I have raced a few over the years... However, I always get a bit used out of the blocks as I sometimes have major wheel spin in the first two gears with the 150 nitrous shot running...It's a timing thing with the nitrous and automatic tranny.... The weight distribution on the C6's are very nice too for traction...They simple grip just a bit better then my ride from launch.....

Here is few pic's of the Z06 I have saved from when I test drove one.. The first gear is wicked on the Z06...